An adventure story about teen-aged Nick, who is convinced that he was unwittingly involved in a murder that the police have termed a suicide. After a body falls from an overpass onto Nick's car, Nick is plagued by nightmares. Is he overwrought over his girlfriend's betrayal--or was Paul Valerian really murdered? Nick hopes a visit to his older brother will bring him peace of mind, so he sets off from California to Texas in his family's motor home. His next-door neighbor, a younger girl who worships him, stows away with him--which proves lucky, since they are being followed by men who intend them harm. Tension mounts, and, after several narrow escapes, Nick meets the dead man's wife--a meeting followed by a confrontation with his murderers and a rescue by Nick's brother. For the most part, this is a deftly handled suspense. Characterization is minimal (we do tire of hearing how Nick's mother provides hot chocolate to cure all ills), but the plot is swift-moving and exciting.